SeeClickFix series: Spring Street area poses problem for drivers

By LUCIAN McCARTY

Sunday, January 6, 2013

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- With the new year and snowfall comes renewed interest in a SeeClickFix issue that seems to be augmented with the buildup of snow.

SeeClickFix.com commenters have been complaining for more than a year about the easternmost section of Spring Street between Court Street and Nelson Avenue, where they consider the road too narrow for two-way traffic.

Winter weather seems to make the situation worse, according to commenters who have renewed their interest in improving the section of road since the start of 2013.

The Saratogian partnered with the SeeClickFix service, available at www.saratogian.com/seeclickfix, two years ago to allow residents to publicly identify and comment on problems throughout the city and suggest solutions.

In a post titled "Make Spring Street a one-way street," commenters have outlined their complaints that parked cars and snow buildup make an already narrow street impassable for two cars at once.

"It is very hard to use in the wintertime with all the snow and in the summertime with all the traffic from the track," wrote Tony Maiorella, originator of the post.

The post has received 11 clicks of affirmation since Jan. 6, 2012, several of which seem to have been clicked in the last week.

Charlie Samuels, a Spring Street resident and a member of the Shared Access Advisory Board, which is charged with implementing the city's Complete Streets program, said on the site that he believes more one-way streets are needed in the city.

He also said some of Complete Streets' efforts, such as more bike-friendly transportation, would alleviate traffic in congested areas of the city.

"This area is a perfect example," he wrote last week.

Another commenter, Been There, said the city should ban parking on both sides of the street, rather than the alternate-side parking that is allowed now.

"The street has been two-way for better than the 55 years I've driven on it," the commenter wrote.

Public Safety Commissioner Christian Mathiesen said it is something to look into.

He said he will discuss the issue of snow removal with the Department of Public Works to see if anything can be done to ameliorate the issue.

"From Court Street to Nelson is a real problem," Mathiesen said. "That part of Spring Street is very narrow."

The commissioner said he would also discuss the issue with the city's traffic safety control officer to determine whether any traffic pattern changes could bring some relief to frequent users of the road, suggesting that if snow is the problem, that section of Spring Street could be converted into a seasonal one-way street.